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Jun 1, 2011

On a personal level, June has always been Pride Month for me. Now I know some of you might argue that the local LGBT Pride March actually happens every December (at least for the past several years) and the community doesn't take many over steps to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots in the US. But regardless of all the negative reasons you can point out about how the local LGBT community has handled June in the past, this month has always meant the need to remember how we need to be proud of who we are.

And it looks like this year, Task Force Pride Philippines is certainly trying to take steps to make this year's Pride memorably beyond just the annual White Party during the last weekend of the month of June. They've published this calendar of major events for the month related to LGBT Pride, and for the most part it does look a bit promising.

Sure, some of these events are just "meaningless" parties - but what gay pride celebration is able to completely escape that? Look anywhere in the world and you'll find events of that nature. And it's not because the need for money is universal - but it's also because that we all need our own venues to celebrate who we are with people that we can trust not to insult us to our faces or try to condemn us to some metaphysical hell.

But alongside the other more shallow ventures are a few notable events that give hope for stronger and more meaningful LGBT activism and representation in the country. So feel free to check some of these events out, publish the calendar to your own blogs or websites and at the very least get the conversation started.

June is supposed to be Pride Month for all gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders and all the other colors of the queer rainbow. Let's make the most of this month and celebrate who are and remind the world that we're here to stay!

Happy Pride Month Everyone! And I hope to catch you at the White Party!